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Facebook and Skype deal to dial friends and family | Facebook and Skype deal to dial friends and family |
(4 days later) | |
By Maggie Shiels Technology reporter, BBC News, Silicon Valley | By Maggie Shiels Technology reporter, BBC News, Silicon Valley |
Skype is integrating with Facebook to make it easier to call and video chat with friends and family on the social network. | Skype is integrating with Facebook to make it easier to call and video chat with friends and family on the social network. |
The deal comes amid fevered rumours that Facebook plans to launch a phone of its own. | The deal comes amid fevered rumours that Facebook plans to launch a phone of its own. |
Meanwhile Skype is gearing up for a $100m (£62m) share issue. | Meanwhile Skype is gearing up for a $100m (£62m) share issue. |
"The essence of the Skype experience is communicating with the people you care about," said Rick Osterloh, Skype's head of consumer products. | "The essence of the Skype experience is communicating with the people you care about," said Rick Osterloh, Skype's head of consumer products. |
The new Skype for Windows will include a Facebook tab. This means that for the first time Skype users can keep up-to-date and interact with their Facebook news feed including posting status updates, commenting and liking directly from Skype. | The new Skype for Windows will include a Facebook tab. This means that for the first time Skype users can keep up-to-date and interact with their Facebook news feed including posting status updates, commenting and liking directly from Skype. |
Added to that, the Facebook phonebook in Skype allows users to call and text Facebook friends directly on their mobile phones and landlines. | Added to that, the Facebook phonebook in Skype allows users to call and text Facebook friends directly on their mobile phones and landlines. |
And if your Facebook friend is also a Skype contact, then users can make free Skype-to-Skype calls. | And if your Facebook friend is also a Skype contact, then users can make free Skype-to-Skype calls. |
Group video calling is available in beta form as a free trial. | Group video calling is available in beta form as a free trial. |
"We're working with companies such as Skype to make it easier to find your friends anytime you want to connect," said Ethan Beard, director of Facebook's developer network. | "We're working with companies such as Skype to make it easier to find your friends anytime you want to connect," said Ethan Beard, director of Facebook's developer network. |
'New market' | 'New market' |
The move is seen as a natural one for the world's biggest social network, which is aiming to be the central communications and messaging platform for its users across a range of media. | The move is seen as a natural one for the world's biggest social network, which is aiming to be the central communications and messaging platform for its users across a range of media. |
Commentator Ben Popper of business technology blog BNET.com told BBC News it is a win-win for both firms. | Commentator Ben Popper of business technology blog BNET.com told BBC News it is a win-win for both firms. |
"For Skype they are getting built right into the conversation. For Facebook, which has the bulk of its users in the US, this is good in terms of expansion because a chunk of Skype users are in Europe and the rest of the world." | "For Skype they are getting built right into the conversation. For Facebook, which has the bulk of its users in the US, this is good in terms of expansion because a chunk of Skype users are in Europe and the rest of the world." |
Mr Popper also said he believed this points towards "a possible new market". | Mr Popper also said he believed this points towards "a possible new market". |
"The deal makes this space a lot more interesting and indicates a different direction of where communications could go. | "The deal makes this space a lot more interesting and indicates a different direction of where communications could go. |
"Right now phones are owned by the cellular networks. This partnership is big enough and deep enough, it could point towards a different kind of telco [telecommunications company] in the future." | "Right now phones are owned by the cellular networks. This partnership is big enough and deep enough, it could point towards a different kind of telco [telecommunications company] in the future." |
Skype has around 560 million registered users and 8.1 million paying users. The Luxembourg-based company said that people spend an average of 520 million minutes every day talking to one another on the service. | Skype has around 560 million registered users and 8.1 million paying users. The Luxembourg-based company said that people spend an average of 520 million minutes every day talking to one another on the service. |
Facebook has more than 500 million users, helping the two companies close in on around one billion users, though there will be some overlap. | Facebook has more than 500 million users, helping the two companies close in on around one billion users, though there will be some overlap. |
The research company ComScore reported that in August Facebook users spent more than 40 billion minutes on the social networking giant. | |
The new Skype version 5.0 for Windows is available now. There has been no announcement about when Mac or Linux versions will follow. | The new Skype version 5.0 for Windows is available now. There has been no announcement about when Mac or Linux versions will follow. |
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